rich colour 35mm...

i have sat scouring older posts to save re-hashing old information

and asking the same old questions, but i want to be sure i get it

right, so i'm going to ask anyway!! (thanks in advance for your

patience!)

 

off to thailand in a few days for a couple of months (LOTS of

photo's!) and will be buying film when i arrive in bangkok. since

prices are lower than they are here in London, i figured i can go for

better film than my budget would normally allow (ie - not whatever is

in the bulk-sale!).

 

i am obviously keen to capture the vibrant colours that characterise

SE Asia, so i am looking for colour negative film that give good

saturation etc.

 

Since i will be taking photos of scenery, people, ruins, temples,

indoor, outdoor etc etc, I figured i'd go for 100ISO and 400ISO. but

which film do you suggest for my situation?

 

any other thoughts etc regarding film selection? (speed, brand,

colour/b&w, etc...)

 

thanks for all your help. the people on this forum rock!

Give Portra 400 UC a try (It's now called Ultra Color 400)

Ditto to Kodak 400UC. It has to be the best general-purpose ISO 400 color print film ever made.

 

Kodak Supra 400, Royal Supra 400, or High Definition 400 would also be acceptable alternatives if you can't find 400UC.

 

As far as ISO 100 films are concerned, Fuji Superia-Reala 100 is always an excellent choice.

Hi,

 

I would second the suggestion on Reala. I've been happy with it. I've been told that Fuji Reala emphasizes the blues and greens a lot, so if you'll be outdoors in Thailand you might want to consider this film. I've heard that the Kodak tends to be slightly more orange/red emphasizing. This is just what I have heard. Is there any one out there who can clarify/explain this more fully?

 

This may be going far, but if you wanted saturation in greens, you might want to consider picking up a filter.

 

Have a good trip.

 

Jon

It's not always about the film.... think polarizer, sky 1A filter and/or, most importantly, a

tiffen enhancing filter.

Portra 400UC. Fine grain, vibrant color, convenient speed for travel. No need for an ISO 100 film.

If you want vibrant colors and good saturation, the best way to go is with slide film. The most saturated film on the market is Fuji Velvia (ISO 50). You might also like Fuji Provia, Kodachrome, or various other slide films. Also, considering that you will be taking "LOTS of photo's" slide film is much less expensive to develop.

Also, I would second the vote for a polarizer

As the choice of the film brand and model is often more a sort of personal religion (very subjective..), I will just list a few films I would try, without too long comments :

* Dia, color (dia is not what you are looking for, but you could give a try)

- Fuji Fortia 50, if you find a roll on eBay (manufactured and available only in Japan)

- Fuji Velvia 50

- Kodachrome 64, or 200 if you like grain in the sky

- Agfa RSX 50 is not saturated, but gives very good results with fog when you want to render a gloomy atmosphere (what you can probably find in Bangkok)

*Dia, BW : Agfa scala, one of the only BW films I use (I am very bad at BW photography), as it always gives me beautiful tones

*Negative, color

-Agfa Ultra 100 : some do not like it, because they say that saturation is given by a higher contrast. However when I look at my pictures, I do not think about what gave me saturation, but just if I like the final result. And I like it. If you don't find it, try Optima 200, which also also very good results with sunny conditions (I find Optima 100 less saturated), and is very good for landscapes as well as for people.

- Kodak UC 100 and 400, which can also give you beautiful pictures. Their advantage is that they are available as medium format, unlike Agfa Ultra 100.

- Fuji Reala 100, very natural yet somehow saturated colors. I would make the same comment as for Optima 200 : very good if you want to mix people and landscapes.

 

This is just a quick view of what I would try, choose the film according to your religion...

(I know I would use mostly Kodachrome/RSX and the Agfa Ultra+Optima, but the Fuji -sect would eat me for giving a strong advice, and Scott, who seems not to like agfa, would be the first to take a bite...)